What's wrong with my sump pump?

If you have a sump pump installed in your basement, you want to be confident that it will work as expected when needed. Sump pumps are designed to reliably remove water from your basement or crawl space and pump it away from your home to a location where it is no longer a concern. When a big storm is headed your way, the last thing you want to worry about is if your basement will be ruined by the flooding – especially after you have taken the time and effort to protect yourself.

Unfortunately, sump pump problems can occur – both minor and serious – that prevent it from doing its job correctly. Sometimes it’s a problem with the pump itself; in other situations, a pipe could be blocked, or the sump pump might not be getting the power it needs. During a very heavy storm, your pump might simply not be strong enough to move all of the water out as quickly as needed. And the lifespan of a sump pump depends a great deal on how hard it works, so if yours has been pushed to the limit, or if you’ve noticed the pump isn’t working as well as it did before, it might be time for a new model.

Whether your sump pump keeps running for a long time or isn’t turning on at all, our sump pump troubleshooting guide is designed to help you identify the most likely causes of pump problems and how to fix them.

Easy-to-follow Instructional Videos

Installing a pump

Understanding Float Switches

Replacing a pump

How to size a pump

Resources

FAQs

Dealer Locator

Need help troubleshooting what is wrong with your sump pump? Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about common problems with sump pumps to help you find a solution.